Ironing press



Oct. 13; 1942. s. E. ALLEY ETAL IRONING PRESS Filed Jun 24, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 !l l a; u: 11.1.11"-..1111

1 oct. 13, 1942.

s; E. ALJLEY Erm.

IRONING PRESS Filed June 24, 1941 oct. 13, 1942. a E. LLL-,Y TAL 2,298,860

IRONING PRESS Oct. 13, 1942. s. E. ALLEY. Erm. 2,298,860Y

IRONING PREss Filed June 24,1941 e sheets-sheet s Oct. 13,A 1942. s. E. ALLEY ETAL mmm PREss Filed Jun 24, 1941 s sheets-'sheet s @gpm Patented Oct. 13, 1942 IRONING PRESS Stephen Evans Alley, Christopher Stanley Gard- Eric Alley, Shrewsbury,

ner, and Stephen England Application June 24, 1941, Serial No. 399,571 In Great Britain March 28, 1940 6 Claims.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to ironing presses and is. concerned with presses of the type comprising a movable pressing head which is brought into and out of operative position in which it presses articles placed between it and a co-operating buck. The invention has for one of its objects to eliminate the use of springs which have heretofore been used to bring the movable head out of operative position. Other objects of the invention are to reduce or eliminate jar or shock in the operation of the press and to provide a generally more efficient construction than has heretofore been available.

According to the primary feature of the present invention, there is provided an ironing press of the type described, in which lluid pressure is employed to bring the movable head into operative position and apply the ironing pressure and is also employed to bring the movable head out of operative position. Thus it will be seen that there is no need to employ return springs for` rthe trunk being such that the opposed exposed faces of the piston head in the larger part of the of the piston head in the larger part of the cylinders are of different areas, and means for admitting Iiuid pressure to both ends of the larger part of the cylinder. It will be appreciated that in this construction the piston face of smaller area takes the form of an annulus and it is preferred to employ this piston face to bring the movable head out of operative position. The pressure in the annular space formed by the piston head and trunk is also employed according to the invention to cushion the movement of the piston in the direction in which it moves to apply pressure to the articles between the bucks. For the same or a similar purpose the rate of exhaust of pressure fluid from the said annular space may be regulated.

It is a further feature of the invention to employ the cylinder, in which the piston operates, to stiien or brace the frame of the press.

For a more complete understanding of these and other features of the invention there will now be described, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, one constructional form of ironing press according to the invention. It is to be understood, however, that rthe invention is not restricted to the precise constructional details set forth.

In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an ironing press with certain of the parts of the frame removed and with the movable head in inoperative position;

Figure 2 s a sectional elevation on the line 2--2 of Figure 4, showing the movable head in operative position;

Figure 3 is a detail elevation looking in the direction of the arrow 3 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the press with the parts in the position shown in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 2 on a scale larger than that of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 6 6 oi Figure 5 on a. scale larger than that of Figure 5; v

Figure 7 is a detail 'I--l of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a detail sectional view on the line 8 8 of Figure 1 on a scale larger than that of Figure 1;

Figure 9 is a plan view of the parts shown in Figure 8 with the upper part of the nger guard removed;

Figure 10 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Figures 8 and 9, and

Figure l1 is a section on the line II-II of Figure 9.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

The press comprises a box-shaped frame having a removable front access plate I5, a removable rear access plate I6 and side cheeks Il and I8, which latter are stiff and form part of the permanent structure. Supported by the frame towards the front thereof is an upstanding pillar I9 to which is fixed the lower buck 20 which may be heated by steam supplied through a pipe 2|. Secured between the side cheeks I1 and I8, and assisting to stiften the press frame is a strut 22 which may be a tube, or a solid bar with bushes. This strut 22 constitutes a spindle on which is pivoted a composite arm for the movsectional view on the line able head 23. This composite arm comprises side through a pipe 31. The steam may be discharged from the buck 25 and the head 23 through pipes which are not shown but are similar to the pipes 2l and 31. These discharge pipes are preferably connected to a steam trap.

Situated between the side cheeks l1 and I8 is a two-diameter cylinder 21 formed with brackets 28 and 29 whereby it is secured to the cheeks. It is of stiff construction and serves to brace the press frame. One end of the cylinder 21 is closed by a cover 35 and the other end of the cylinder is open but is fitted with a protecting hood 3l of conical formation.

Received to reciprocate in the cylinder 21 is a piston head 32 having a trunk 33 reaching from one face thereof. The piston head 32 closely ts in the larger part of the cylinder 21 and is provided with cup leathers 34 or piston rings. The trunk 33 closely fits in the smaller part of the cylinder 21 and is provided with a cup leather 35 or a piston ring. It will be seen clearly from Figure that the face of the piston head 32 towards the left presents its full circular area to the cylinder space but the face towards the right presents only an annulus to the cylinder space. Thus the opposed exposed faces of the piston head are of diiferent areas.

Pivoted in the piston head 32 and reaching through the trunk 33 and the hood 3l is a connecting rod 35 which is joined to the side plates 24 and 25 of the pressing head arm by a toggle linkage. This toggle linkage comprises an upper and a lower link pivoted together whereof the former is also pivoted to the connecting rod 35 and the arm for the movable head 23, and the lower link is anchored between the cheeks l1 and I8 of the frame. Referring more particularly to Figures 2 and 3, it will be seen that the upper link comprises arms 38 and 3Q formed integral with barrels 50 and 5l. The barrel 50 is received between bushes l2 and i3 carried respectively by the side plates 'Z4 and 25 of the pressing head arm, and reaching right through the barrel 4U and the bushes i2 and d3 is a tube 44 or a solid bar with bushes constituting a spindle whereby the upper link is pivotally connected to the pressing head arm. The brackets 28 and 29 reach towards the cylinder 21 to embrace the end of the connecting rod 38 (see particularly Figure 5) and reaching through these parts is a tube 55 or a solid bar with bushes which affords pivotal connection between the upper link and the connecting rod. The barrel lll of the upper link is received between brackets 55 and 41 in the lower link and a tube 4S or a solid bar with bushes reaching through these parts serves as a pivotal connection between the upper and lower links. The lower link also comprises a barrel 59 formed integral with the brackets 46 and 41. This barrel is received between bushes 5E) and 5l carried by the cheeks l1 and I8 of the frame of the press, and a strut 52, which may be a tube or a solid bar with bushes, reaches through these parts in such manner as to be secured to the side cheeks I1 and i8 and serve both to pivot the lower link in the frame of the press and to brace the latter. It will be understood that as the piston head 32 reciprocates in the cylinder 21 the toggle linkage just described will move between the settings shown in Figures 1 and 2 and correspondingly move the buck 23.

It is preferred to employ compressed air to bring the buck 23 into operative position and apply the ironing pressure and to bring the head 23 out of operative position. The main supply pipe for this compressed air is shown at 53. This pipe 53 reaches to the front of the machine where it delivers the compressed air to the interior of the casing 55 of an operators control Valve. Also communicating with the interior of the valve casing 55 is a pipe 55 which is connected to a port 55 in the cover 5E) for the larger end of the cylinder 21. This pipe 55 serves both to supply compressed air to the larger end of the cylinder 21 and to permit its exhaust therefrom. Situated in the pipe 53 is a junction box 61 (Figures 4, 5 and 6), the interior of which communicates with a port 51 in the wall of the cylinder 21 at the junction of the larger and smaller portions of the latter. This port 51 is therefore exposed to the annular space formed by the piston head 32 and the trunk 33 and it serves both to supply compressed air to this annular space and to exhaust it therefrom. The annular space, however, is always open to the interior of the pipe 55. By a suitable manipulation of his control valve (hereinafter described) the operator can admit compressed air through the port 55 in order to force the piston head 32 to the right, as seen in Figure 5, and bring the head 23 into the position shown in Figure 2, applying the necessary ironing pressure. During this movement of the parts the air in the annular space formed by the piston head 32 and the trunk 53 will be expelled through the port 51 back into the pipe The resistance offered by this air to its expulsion through the port 51 will cushion the movement of the piston head and thus minimise jar and shock. When the ironing operation is completed, the operator will manipulate his control valve in such a way as to permit the air from the larger end of the cylinder 21 to be exhausted through the port 55 back into the pipe 55 and the valve casing 54. As the annular space formed by the piston head 32 and the trunk 33 is open to the pipe 53 compressed air will now pass from the latter through the port 51 into this annular space and force the piston to the left, as seen in Figure 5, thus moving the head 23 into the position shown in Figure l and maintaining it there until a further manipulation of the operators control valve occurs.

The cushioning effect just described can be varied by regulating the rate at which the air is exhausted from the aforesaid annular space through the port 51. For this purpose the box |51 is provided with a screwthreaded needle valve 58 which, as seen in Figure 6, reaches across the bore in the box 81 to a port 59. The rim of this port forms a seat for a valve 50 which controls the port 51. A spring 6l urges the valve 55 towards its seat. The Valve has a passage 52 through it which is not closed by the valve engaging its seat and the point of the needle valve 5S reaches into this passage 52. By adjusting the setting of the needle valve 58 it will be seen that the size of the aperture left between the point of the needle valve and the walls of the passage 52 can be varied so as to regulate the rate of exhaust through the port 51 and correspondingly regulate the aforesaid cushioning effect. It is not desired that the entry of compressed air into the cylinder 21 through the port 51 should be strangled and it is for this reason that the movable valve 50 is provided. As Will be seen from Figure '1 it has splines 63 by which it is guided in its movement inside the box |01. These splines reach below the end of the body of the valve 60 and thus when the valve has been moved downwardly as seen in Figure 6 into such a position that the ends of the splines engage the cheek |1 of the press frame on which the box |01 is mounted, passages will be afforded between the ports 51 and 59 around the outside of the valve 50, in addition to the passage 02 through the interior of the valve 69. Thus when the valve is on its seat it affords a smaller orifice for the passage of the air than when it is off its seat. Air proceeding from the aforesaid annular space in the cylinder 21, through the port 51, will oper'- ate on the valve 60 in the direction to urge it towards its seat, but air passing from the pipe 53 through the port 59 towards the annular space will operate on the valve 99 in the opposite direction and will overcome the pressure of the spring 8| and force the valve from its seat, thus enabling compressed air, for lifting the head 23, to reach the annular space readily.

Figures 8 to 11 show the construction of the operators control valve which, however, does not form part of the present invention and is only described herein in order that the operation of the press may be understood. The casing 54, a1- ready mentioned, of this valve is mounted on the downwardly-turned rim 54 of a table 65 at the front of the press under the buck 20. The casing 54 is bored from top to bottom and the lower end is closed by a screwed plug 66. A boss 31 on the casing receives the end of the aforesaid pipe 53 and another boss 98 receives the end of the aforesaid pipe 55. Opposite to the end of the pipe 55 there is a constriction in the bore in the casing 54 and this constriction is fitted with a liner 09. The lower end of this liner is shaped to serve as a seat to be engaged by a ball valve which is pressed upwardly by a spring 1| housed in a recess in the plug 60. When the ball 10 is on its seat it prevents the passage Yof compressed air from the pipe 53. The upper end of the liner 09 has an out-turned flange 12 which abuts on a shoulder in the bore in the casing 54. Above the liner 69 is a valve stem 13 and a valve 14. The valve 14 has an extension 15 reaching down to the ball valve 10 and at the neck of this extension there is a conical surface 13 which is intended to seat against the end of the bore of the liner 69. When in this position it closes communication between the pipe 55 and a lateral eX- haust port 11 in the casing 54. This port leads into an exhaust silencer 18 whereof the walls are suitably perforated. The opposed faces of the stem 13 and valve 14 are recessed to house a spring 19 by which the stem 13 may press the valve 14 against the upperv end of the liner 69. The upward pressure of the spring 1| is reinforced by the pressure of the air in the pipe 53. The stem 13 is laterally bored to receive a relatively small cross pin 80 secured in the casing 54. This pin limits the longitudinal movement of the stern 13. The upper end of the stem 13 has pivoted to it by a pin 91 an arm 8 the clearance indicated at 82 in Figure 8 enabling the arm 8| to tilt through a substantial angle with respect to the stem 13. This arm is semi-circularly cut away at 83 and 84 to clear pins 85 and 86 secured in cheeks 81 and 88 upstanding' from the valve casing 54. These pins 85 and 80 serve respectively as pivots for two finger levers 89 and 90. The finger leverl 89 is bifurcated to form two legs 9| and 92 which receive the pin 85, and the finger lever 90 is similarly bifurcated, to form two legs 93 and 94 which receive the pin 86; Cross pins 95 and 96 carried respectively by the finger levers 89 and 90 are adapted to engage the upper surface of the arm 8|; If both finger levers 89 and are depressed the stem 13 will in turn be depressed and thus cause the valve 14 to move the ball valve 10 olf its seat. A downwardlydirected channel-shaped guard plate 98` is tted over the finger levers 89 and 90 to prevent accidental depression of these finger levers or depression by one hand only.

The stem 13 has a circumferential recess 99 lying opposite to a short catch rod |00. This rod. |00 is mainly cylindrical and is housed in a cylindrical hole in the casing 54. The longitudinal axis of this hole is so placed in regard to the stem 13 that the rod |00 has to be cut away to accommodate the stem 13. When, however, the stem 13 is suiiiciently depressed to bring its recess 99 opposite to the rod |00 the latter can rotate into the recess 99 and thus prevent longitudinal movement up or down of the stem 13. In this depressed position the stem 13 will be causing the extension 15 to hold the ball valve 10 off its seat. The rod |09 reaches at both ends to the outsideof the casing 54. At one end it carries a pin |0| to which is attached one end of a spring |02, the other end of which is anchored to a pin |03 reaching out from the lower end of the valve casing. This spring tends to rotate the rod |00 in the counterclockwise direction, as seen in Figure 8, so as to turn the rod |00 into engagement with the recess 99 when the stem 13 has been suitably depressed by the operator. The other end of the rod |00 has attached to it a linger lever |04 with a tail piece |05 which latter is adapted to come to rest against a pin |06 reaching out from the valve casing. By means of the nger lever |04 the operator can rotate the rod |00 against the pull of the spring |02 so as to bring the rod |00 into the position in which it will release the stem 13 and permit it to return to the upper limit of its longitudinal travel, but the pin |06 will prevent the operator from depressing the lever |04 sufficiently far to bring the upper part of the rod |00, as seen in Figure 8, into engagement with the recess 99.

The operation of the press may be describedas follows: Since the port 51 is always open to the pipe 53 the compressed air will tend to maintain the movable head 23 in the position shown in Figure 1. When the operator has spread an article on the buck 20 ready for ironing, he places one nger from each hand inside the guard 98 and depresses both of the finger levers 89 and 90. This causes the extension 15 to open the ball valve 10 and permit compressed air to enter the pipe 55 and reach the larger end of the cylinder 21, thus moving the head 23 into the position shown in Figure 2 and applying the ironing pressure. As the stem 13 is thus, depressed by the operator the rod |00 will turn automatically into the recess *99 and hold the stem 13 depressed and thus keep the ball valve 10 open. In this position of the parts, the compressed air operating against the left-hand side of the piston head 32, as seen in Figure 5, overcomes the pressure of the compressed air acting in the annular space formed by the piston head 32 and the trunk 33. When the ironing is finished, the operator depresses the lever |04 whereupon the parts 13 and 14 move upwardly, shutting off the pipe 53 from the pipe 55 and opening the latter to the exhaust port 11. This will exhaust the compressed air from the larger end of the cylinder 21 and permit the` compressed air acting in the aforesaid annular space to return the movable head 23 to the position shown in Figure l.

It is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the precise constructional details set forth.

We claim:

1. An ironing press comprising in combination a movable pressing head, a co-operating buck, a piston head, a trunk reaching from one face thereof, a two-diameter cylinder, the larger and smaller parts of which closely iit the piston head and piston trunk respectively and the diameter of which trunk is such that the opposed exposed faces of the piston head in the larger part of the cylinder are of different areas, meansl for admitting fluid pressure at will to and shutting it at Will oi from that end of the larger part of the cylinder to which the piston face of larger area is directed and for admitting uid pressure continuously to the other end of the larger part of the cylinder, and means connecting the piston head to the movable head in such manner that fluid pressure on the piston face of larger area operates to bring the movable head into operative position and apply the ironing pressure, and that fluid pressure on the piston face of smaller area operates to bring the movable head out of operative position.

2. An ironing press comprising in combination a movable pressing head, a co-operating buck, a piston head, a trunk reaching from one face thereof, a two-diameter cylinder, the larger and smaller parts of which closely fit the piston head and piston trunk respectively and the diameter of which trunk is such that the opposed exposed faces of the piston head in the larger part of the cylinder are of different areas, means for admitting fluid pressure at Will to and shutting it at will oi from that end of the larger part of the cylinder to which the piston face of larger area is directed, means for subjecting the piston face of smaller area continuously to fluid pressure and for permitting the exhaust of fluid from that end of the larger part of the cylinder to which the piston face of smaller area is directed, means for regulating the rate of said exhaust, and means connecting the piston head to the movable head in such manner that fluid pressure on the piston face of larger area operates to bring the movable head into operative position and apply the ironing pressure, and that fluid pressure on the piston face of' smaller area operates to bring the movable head out of operative position.

3. An ironing press comprising in combination a movable pressing head, a co-operating buck, a piston head, a trunk reaching from one face thereof, a two-diameter cylinder, the larger and smaller parts of which closely fit the piston head and piston trunk respectively and the diameter of which trunk is such that the opposed exposed faces of the piston head in the larger part of the cylinder are of different areas, means for admitting iluid pressure at Will to and shutting it at will olf from that end of the larger part of the cylinder to which the piston face of larger area is directed, means for subjecting the piston face of smaller area continuously to fluid pressure and for permitting the exhaust of iluid from that end of the larger part of the cylinder to lwhich the piston face of smaller area is directed,

a needle valve for regulating the rate of said exhaust, and means connecting the piston head to the movable head in such manner that fluid pressure on the piston face of larger area operates to bring the movable head into operative position and apply the ironing pressure, and that fluid pressure on the piston face of smaller area operates to bring the movable head out of operative position.

4. An ironing press comprising in combination a movable pressing head, a co-operating buck, a piston head, a trunk reaching from one face thereof, a two-diameter cylinder, the larger and smaller parts of which closely t the piston head and piston trunk respectively and the diameter of Which trunk is such that the opposed exposed faces of the piston head in the larger part of the cylinder are of different areas, means for admitting duid pressure at Will to and shutting it at will off from that end of the larger part of the cylinder to which the piston face of larger area is directed, means for subjecting the piston face of smaller area continuously to fluid pressure and for permitting the exhaust of fluid from that end of the larger part of the cylinder to which the piston face of smaller area is directed, a needle Valve for regulating the rate of said exhaust, means for adjusting said needle valve, and means connecting the piston head to the movable head in such manner that uid pressure on the piston face of larger area operates to bring the movable head into operative position and apply the ironing pressure, and that fluid pressure on the piston face of smaller area operates to bring the movable head out of operative position.

5. An ironing press comprising in combination a movable pressing head, a co-operating buck, a piston head, a trunk reaching from one face thereof, a two-diameter cylinder, the larger and smaller parts of which closely fit the piston head and piston trunk respectively and the diameter of which trunk is such that the opposed exposed faces of the piston head in the larger part of the cylinder are of diiferent areas, means for admitting fluid pressure at Will to and shutting it at Will ofi` from that end of the larger part of the cylinder to which the piston face of larger area is directed, a single conduit serving for supplying and exhausting pressure fluid to and from the other end of the larger part of the cylinder, means connecting the piston head to the movable head in such manner that fluid pressure on the piston face of larger area operates to bring the movable head into operative position and apply the ironing pressure, and that fluid pressure on the piston face of smaller area operates to bring the movable head out of operative posi tion, a valve for controlling said conduit, a seat in the conduit for said valve, and a Spring urging said valve towards its seat, which parts are so constructed and arranged that when the valve is on its seat it affords a smaller orifice for the passage of the fluid than When it is off its seat, and that the fluid in proceeding from the cylinder along said conduit operates on the valve in the direction to urge it towards its seat, and in proceeding to the cylinder along said conduit operates on the valve in the opposite direction to overcome the pressure of said spring and force the valve from its seat.

6. An ironing press comprising in combination a movable pressing head, a (3o-operating buck, a

iston head, a trunk reaching from one face thereof, a two-diameter cylinder, the larger and smaller parts of which closely lit the piston head and piston trunk respectively and the diameter of Which trunk is such that the opposed exposed faces of the piston head in the larger part'of the cylinder are of different areas, means for admitting fluid pressure at will to and shutting it at will off from that end of the larger part of the cylinderfto which the piston face of larger area is directed, a single conduit serving for supplying and exhausting pressure fluid to and from the other end of the larger part of the cylinder, a needle valve for regulating the rate of said exhaust, means connecting the piston head to the movable head in such manner that fluid pressure on the piston face of larger area operates to bring the movable head into operative position and apply the ironing pressure, and that fluid pressure on the piston face of smaller area operates to bring the movable head out of operative position, an automatic valve for controlling said conduit,A a seat in the conduit for said automatic valve, which automatic valve has a passage through its body which is not closed by the automatic valve engaging its seat but which is controlled by the saidl needle valve, and a spring urging said automatic valve towards its seat` which parts are so constructed and arranged that when the automatic valve is on its seat it affords a smaller orifice for the passage of the fluid than when it is off its seat, and that the fluid in proceeding from the cylinder along said conduit operates on the automatic valve in the direction to urge it towards its seat, and in proceeding to the cylinder along said conduit operates on the automatic valve in the opposite direction to overcome the pressure of said spring and force the automatic valve from its seat.

STEPHEN EVANS ALLEY. CHRISTOPHER STANLEY GARDNER. STEPHEN ERIC ALLEY. 

